By Behdad Mahichi
Midterms are around the corner and you’re still up past 2 a.m. scrolling through LOLcat pictures and YouTube hate comments. You’ve tried picking up your books, but you keep dropping them. Looking up at your ceiling, you cry out to the lord, “where can I get a magical elixir that will give me the strength to pick up my damned books!?”
Calm down child, this ‘magical elixir’ is not that hard to find. Its code name is coffee. And no, I’m not talking about your watered-down Tim Horton’s Double-Double, or your shit flavoured Pitman Hall Roasters Coffee. I’m talking about places that provide a variety of rich blends. Places that take pride in offering coffee of high calibre —not just your average cup of joe. Good coffee is all around you, all you need to do is open your eyes. The Eyeopener opens them for you by listing off seven of the best places to grab a cup of coffee nearby campus.
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- Balzac’s
Switch it up without a hassle at Balzac’s — the closest coffee house, right next to the Image Arts building. Built with glass walls and Art Deco tile floors, the design of Balzac’s at Ryerson is inspired by the Grand cafés of Paris.
Address: 122 Bond Street
- Black Canary Espresso Bar
This little coffee shop is embedded into the Silver Snail comic book store near the Yonge and Gould intersection. Pick up the comics of choice and drink your coffee out of a batman mug. Space is limited, but when available it is the perfect social hangout for a group of friends.
Address: 329 Yonge Street
- Roll Play Cafe
Get extremely caffeinated and play board/card games at the Roll Play Cafe, just steps away from campus. Your average game of Risk or Uno will be taken up a notch and get more heated than usual. Roll Play Cafe will be crammed at night, and reservations are not permitted. But put your name on the list and be patient — it’s worth the wait.
Address: 10A Edward Street
- Dineen Coffee
Located at the busy Bay and Temperance Streets, Dineen Coffee’s building is listed under Heritage Property as one of the city’s oldest structures. Dineen is now a hotspot for Bay Street businessmen hosting casual meetings. A great hotspot for class coffee drinkers, the staff at Dineen wears button-up shirts and ties — You won’t be the only one feeling underdressed.
Address: 140 Yonge Street
- Jimmy’s Coffee
A cozy three-story house dubbed as a coffee shop, Jimmy’s Coffee on Gerrard is a charming little establishment. The homey atmosphere is a safe haven getaway from the busy downtown streets nearby. You’ll find pictures of Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Carter —the place is literally themed over the name Jimmy.
Address: 84 Gerrard Street West
- Bulldog Coffee
Bulldog doesn’t do regular drip coffee. This Italian-styled espresso bar takes pride in their coffee art—the owner will literally draw a bulldog in your mocha if you ask him to. In the coming weeks, Bulldog will be moving even closer to campus, in its new location at 86 Gerrard Street.
Address: 89 Granby Street
- Fahrenheit Coffee
This little caffeine bar has been rated by NOW! Toronto as the city’s best coffee shop. Fahrenheit hosts many regulars who stop by for a cup everyday. They have managed to establish a tightened community within a large and busy part of downtown.
Address: 120 Lombard Avenue
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